In recent years, a switchgear in which insulating gas is contained is often used in terms of size reduction and appearance of substations. Such a switchgear is configured so that a fixed contact and a movable contact contact and separate to and from each other to turn on and off power.
Various drive mechanisms for a movable contact have been proposed hitherto. For example, a switchgear disclosed in Patent Literature 1 mentioned below includes an insulating operating rod that is driven to rotate by an operation device installed outside the switchgear and a rack that engages with a pinion arranged at the other end of the operating rod to drive a movable contact. This switchgear is configured so that, by the operation device rotating the pinion via the operating rod, the rack is driven in a direction perpendicular to an axis of the operating rod to cause the movable contact to contact and separate to and from a fixed contact. Furthermore, according to the conventional technique represented by Patent Literature 1 mentioned below, an operating rod is supported by a bearing and it is common to use grease for the bearing to reduce frictions accompanied by the rotation of the operating rod.